BLG Advises on Two of the Top Six 2017 Venture Capital Financings in Canada

February 6, 2018

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Toronto (February 6, 2018) — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) has advised on two of Canada’s top six venture capital financings in 2017, as reported by the PE HubNetwork.

BLG advised on the LeddarTech transaction, a top Québec-based maker of laser-sensor technology used in self-driving cars, in a Series C deal of almost $130 million (US$101 million). BLG acted for BDC Capital, GO Capital, Sofimac Innovation (iSource), Desjardins-Innovatech, Accès Capital and Fonds de Solidarite FTQ with a team led by Patrice Martin that included Pascal de Guise and Joseph Takhmizdjian of BLG’s Montréal office.

BLG also acted on the eStruxture Data Centers transaction, which took initial funding led by Canderel and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. The deal provided the network and cloud-neutral data centre operator with $80 million, used in part to buy Netelligent Hosting Services and the Montreal Gazette‘s former printing facility. BLG represented Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec with a team led by Pascal de Guise that included Yaniv Saragosti and Myriane Le Francois of its Montréal office.

Receiving special mention, BLG also advised Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, a Vancouver clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, which closed a public offering of about $231 million (US$173 million). Of that amount, $53 million came from Lumira Capital and other private investors. BLG advised Aurinia with a team led by Stephen P. Robertson that included Kent D. Kufeldt and Michelle M. Wilkinson of its Vancouver office.

BLG’s Venture Capital Group is led by Brad J. Pierce and is composed of leading professionals with a broad range of experience in intellectual property, corporate finance, tax and commercial law. The Group has a great deal of experience with public and private companies and venture funds, as well as foreign law and patent firms. It has implemented national and international tracking and management programs for IP filings, registrations and maintenance and has represented domestic vendors as well as foreign buyers.

BLG's Private Equity Group is led by Stefan Timms and spans across Canada with experienced lawyers located in each of its five offices to assist clients achieve their goals at all stages in the investment life cycle. BLG’s private equity and venture capital practice provides industry leading, responsive legal advice from legal experts in mergers and acquisitions, cross-border structuring and transactions, corporate commercial matters, financial services and lending, securities, fund formation, tax, competition, restructuring and insolvency and corporate governance among other areas.

About Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) is a leading, national, full-service Canadian law firm focusing on business law, commercial litigation and arbitration, and intellectual property solutions for our clients. BLG is one of the country’s largest law firms with more than 700 lawyers, intellectual property agents and other professionals in five cities across Canada. We assist clients with their legal needs, from major litigation to financing to trademark and patent registration.